Warm Sunlight
by skywolf666
Summary: The sun was warm and the beach looked perfect, eliciting every soldier available to shed their armour and drop their weapons for a rare day of vacation in the Outrealms, even if it did mean donning those rather embarrassing-looking swimsuits the merchants were offering everyone. Still, some could pull off such a look rather well, Cail mused. TikixAvatar. (Summer Scramble DLC).


The battle had been won hours ago, with the invading brigands and Risen having been driven off as the afternoon reached its peak. The beach once more had returned to its peaceful and pristine condition, leaving the Shepherds free to enjoy their time in relaxation in the midst of their war. While they had initially been reserved to take such a vacation and be provided for without recompense, eventually that hesitation melted in the face of the rarity of the entire situation. The sun was hot in the sky and the water was the deepest blue they had ever seen, and the picture of peace was simply too much to resist after such hard months of toil and battle.

It had taken a short while to reassess themselves and tend to the wounded before their strange vacation of sorts could actually begin, but as they ventured towards the coast all feelings of exhaustion and tension faded away. Armour and weaponry had been shed in favour of the lighter clothing provided by the merchants responsible for the entire arrangement, and the Outrealms proved immediately exactly why it was named the most popular resort of the realms as the soldiers filled the beach. No one was at a loss of what to do but only where to begin, and it didn't take long before the sand was filled with small groups of friends attending to one activity or another.

Further up the beach and safely away from the water a group of twelve Shepherds were laughing boisterously as a compact leather ball was kicked between the two squads of six. On the left side of the makeshift field, Cail was using his speed to his advantage as he sprinted across the sand bare-footed with Chrom waiting just on the other side of Vaike to receive his pass. The game was new to the silver-haired tactician and many of the others, but once the rules had been explained no one had argued setting up an impromptu match between those available.

Every single player had now been glad for the change of clothing, and had well forgotten their embarrassment upon being seen with the rather revealing clothing on. The light and loose fabric made movement in the sand easier than anything else, and in the blazing heat of the sun they were glad to be wearing so little while moving so much. Many of the men had shed their shirts and been glad to wear only the short coloured trousers, and the women playing the game had swapped their skirts for shorts similar to the ones that the men wore to keep some propriety while freeing their legs for running.

Not much minding the fact that he was still wearing his shirt unlike the other men on his team, Cail moved quickly through the players trying to block him from his advance up the field. Lon'qu had proven the most difficult to evade, but thankfully Gregor had come to his aid to distract the Feroxi swordsman. Henry however was impossible to shake off, and seeing Chrom waiting for his pass as they had discussed, Cail swerved to the side and prepared himself as Henry came forward with the intent to steal the ball.

Kicking quickly with the inside of his foot, Cail passed it off through the air and to his commander. He laughed breathlessly as the prince received it easily on his bared chest and bounced it down to his own feet, and with an easy movement that Cail could have mistook as expertise, avoided Vaike's attempt to intercept before shooting it hard towards the goal formed by two large wooden posts.

Not minding the sand at all, Stahl dove for the ball as the only player allowed to catch it with his hands as it soared high and into the upper corner. His fingers barely scraped the surface of the ball as it landed safely in the net behind him, and the green-wearing knight fell hard with a dismayed groan as the opposing team gave a loud cheer at their goal that earned them the point needed to break the tie and end the game.

Chuckling, Chrom took the chance to catch his breath as Stahl wiped the sand from his knees and wearily ambled to his feet. He noticed with a grin that Sully was berating him for letting the goal in, but the redheaded knight's posture seemed more worried than angry for her husband's failure. Stahl had proved himself to be a shockingly skilled goaltender, well eclipsing the agile Henry who he had replaced early on in the game when the dark mage proved better at playing than standing still. He hadn't let a single goal near the net until now, forcing the tiebreaker when Sully managed to sneak two goals by Frederick.

With the game over, Chrom watched as the remaining players laughed and traded gentle teasing for their victory or loss. Sully had given Stahl a gentle punch to the shoulder, only for the knight to catch her wrist and pull her in for a quick peck on the lips. Vaike began laughing uproariously at them when they parted with Sully glowing as red as her face, but she quickly hid her embarrassment by picking up the discarded ball and throwing it hard at the axeman's head. It connected with a loud smacking noise, and Stahl had to lean against one of the two thick posts to keep himself upright as he laughed himself sick while Vaike went down hard into the sand.

Shaking his head at their antics but amused that Sully had refused to let anybody but Stahl get the better of her, Chrom turned to see Cail moving to join him on the edge of the large square patch of sand that had served them as their playing field. The silver-haired tactician looked breathless but pleased to have found victory as he came to a halt beside his navy-haired comrade. Bumping fists in a brotherly gesture of congratulation, Cail remarked with a hearty laugh, "Good shooting, Captain. We couldn't have done it without you."

"I was just about to say the same." Chrom agreed, knowing full well that Cail's strategy in beating Vaike's surprisingly staunch defence had led to their victory. Even in the midst of a game he had never played before the tactician kept his head, and proved that he would never be bested if he could help it. "You did a good job today."

A cheery whistle caught Cail's attention as the handful of soldiers who had taken up residence on the sand to watch the game cheered their victory. To his pleasure he noted Morgan had been the one responsible for the sound, and nodding to Chrom he went to join his daughter as she gave him a laughing round of applause for his success.

Like many of her comrades, Morgan had shed her usual clothing for the swimwear offered by the sisters responsible for running the resort. The dark violet fabric of her shorts and top fit her young body surprisingly well, but she didn't seem to notice the difference between the swimsuit and her usual clothing as her father joined her on the sidelines, "Nice job, Father!"

"Chrom was the one who made the goal, not me." Cail dismissed the praise with a chuckle, but he was glad regardless that she had come by to see him playing with Chrom. Many of the women had taken much longer than the men with their changing of their clothes, and though the game had gone on for the better part of an hour quite a handful of female Shepherds hadn't yet come down to the beach. "Still, thanks anyway. It was a fun game, I was glad to give it a try."

"Well, we still thought you did a good job." Morgan promptly answered his dismissal with a large smile, and she couldn't help but laugh when she noticed his raised eyebrow. "You were so fast, almost no one could keep up. I'd like to give it a try, too, sometime. Maybe after I go for a swim."

"Wait a moment, 'we'?" Cail began in confusion, glancing around as he tried to pinpoint Morgan's companion in the crowd of people that had joined in watching the game. His breath caught in his throat as he wondered how he'd been blind to miss who had been standing somewhat behind her, and the heat in his face doubled in his embarrassment and shock. "O-Oh..."

The crimson in his cheeks was the exact same shade as his wife's new choice of a swimsuit, and he swallowed audibly in surprise as he tried to digest the image in front of him. Standing almost shyly somewhat behind Morgan, Tiki had been stripped of her dress and cloak, and instead put into a form-fitting bolt of cloth with thin straps about her shoulders to contain her chest. The straps looked thin and almost flimsy, as if he could easily snap them apart if he had to mind to, and he wondered in a daze if the bottom half of her swimwear matched the top in colour and design. However, and likely wisely, Tiki had covered her lower half with a white gossamer skirt that fluttered slightly about her ankles and hugged her hips, completing her change and robbing Cail of rational thought and logic.

A slit in her skirt gave him a glimpse of her long legs, and the form-fitting cloth about her chest left little to his imagination. Her necklace glittered brightly in the sun, having been lowered somewhat to hang subtly between the swell of her breasts, and Cail almost groaned as she toyed with the charm awkwardly as they stood in choked silence. He had always known her to be beautiful, and more than once he'd seen her without clothing at all but there was still something intensely erotic about seeing her dressed so lightly now in the blazing sunlight.

Neither spoke, one staring speechless while the other gazed down at the sand beneath her feet, and Morgan snickered uncontrollably at their surprising reactions. Her mother had practically been dragged down from the cabana when she had finished changing, and Morgan couldn't help but wonder at her parents' sudden shyness. Despite her three thousand years of life Tiki almost seemed like a child again as she stood fiddling with her necklace in silent embarrassment, and Cail's slack-jawed stare proved he was still trying to remember how to speak.

Feeling impish and having a sneaking suspicion that they would stand there speechless for hours if she let them, Morgan stepped smartly to the left and then behind her mother. Gently pushing her forward by the shoulders, Morgan grinned broadly as she asked mischievously, "Doesn't she look good, Father? Red's your favourite colour, right? That's why she chose it."

"M-Morgan!" Tiki felt her blush race to the roots of her hair, and she turned on her daughter who immediately skipped three paces backwards and out of her reach. She could barely believe Morgan was daring enough to reveal something like that, but from the laughing light in her daughter's dark eyes she had a bad feeling her child was more than willing to continue on if the chance permitted it, consequences be damned. "Th-That was uncalled for!"

"You two were just standing there like statues!" Morgan countered with an unrepentant snort, and she took three more skips backwards just in case her logic was lost on her very flustered mother. She was greatly surprised to see her usually so calm and mature mother losing her composure, but she admitted there was a certain delight to the sight all the same if it was because her father was causing it. She took a deep sort of pleasure in seeing her parents so in love, as it gave her both a sense of nostalgia and comfort to know they had so much passion for each other. "You would've been like that all day if I'd let you, I bet! I had to say something!"

"You could have said _anything_ but that!" Tiki replied in a low groan that was more to herself than to anyone else, and when she glanced sheepishly to her side to see Cail watching her with a mixture of surprise and pleasure that only worsened her embarrassment. His expression made it difficult to remain annoyed with her daughter for revealing her secret, and despite it all she was tempted to simply flee if it meant saving face. 'Naga take me... When did I become so utterly hopeless...?'

The sound of something flying through the air caught all three off guard, but Cail reacted first as he turned to catch the ball he had been kicking earlier with Chrom before it could slam into his head from behind. Morgan whistled in appreciation at her father's reflexes, but Cail acted as if nothing had happened as he bounced the ball expertly off of his foot before kicking it back towards the chuckling Vaike who had tried to hit him. His voice was amused despite the dirty attempt as he called to the axeman, "Is that your way of asking if I want to play another round, Vaike?"

"Sorta. Chrom told me to do it. Said if you were gonna stand there with your mouth hanging open like a dog, I may as well ask if you want to play fetch." Vaike replied with a wide smirk, and he couldn't help but snort when both Cail and Tiki glanced at each other and then immediately looked away. Their awkwardness greatly amused the blond man, and he tossed the ball absently up and down as he continued with a bit more seriousness, "But honestly, do you wanna play another round? Everybody here's willing to go another game, but if you don't wanna, that's your business."

Cail smiled, admitting inwardly that the idea of playing again did appeal to him, but as he glanced sidelong at Tiki watching him with a hint of hopefulness in her gaze and Morgan's beaming grin... He took a step backwards and gently enveloped Tiki's hand in his. She started a little in surprise but immediately curled their fingers together nonetheless, and he smiled as he answered Vaike simply, "Sorry, I've got a pressing engagement. Hope you find another player, though."

"Gotcha." Vaike nodded agreeably, and he tossed the ball up several times before turning back towards the teammates awaiting his return. Almost as an afterthought however as he began walking to the makeshift field, he called over his shoulder with a malicious chuckle, "Oh, and before you head out, Chrom said something about a campfire on the beach tonight, so make sure you're back for that, eh, lover boy?"

"Yeah, yeah. We'll be there." Cail called back as neutrally as he possibly could without betraying his exasperation at being the butt of the joke once more because of his friends. Still, he had to smile as their lightheartedness was pleasant to see after such stressful times. The game on the beach had been full of laughter and loud taunts and jeers as the players let off much-needed steam between each other in that friendly and rough way only soldiers could.

However, Cail noted with raised eyebrows that upon Vaike's return to the crowd he had his hand out, and a few silver coins passed through other hands and into the axeman's palms as he came off well in a bet between his teammates. Shaking his head in disbelief, he muttered to himself as Morgan began laughing when she noticed it as well, "I don't care what anyone else says, the lot of them gossip like maids in a castle..."

Turning to his family, Cail felt Tiki give his hand a happy squeeze as they stood beside each other with Morgan watching them with a contented expression. Shrugging his shoulders and relaxing his posture, Cail took a quick glance about the beach before he asked with a little laugh, "Well, anyone have any suggestions on what to do now?"

"Can we go for a walk down the beach? There's an empty spot just further up the coast that I spotted when we were coming down the hill from the cabana. It's got a dock and everything, so I think the water's a little deeper over there." Morgan suggested with a encouraging smile, and she glanced hopefully at her parents' faces as she nearly bounced up and down with eagerness. It felt as if it had been forever since she had been able to have time alone with both of them at once, and she was hoping to make plenty of new memories with them in the water and on the sand. "Does that sound okay?"

"It sounds like a good idea to me." Tiki agreed with a smile at Morgan's enthusiasm, and Cail nodded his assent as his daughter burst into a large ear-to-ear grin. With a happy laugh she took off like an arrow loosed from a bow, waving happily to them as she marked out the path down the coast she had already prepared in her eagerness for alone time with them. Shaking her head in fond amusement, Tiki nudged Cail's shoulder as they followed their energetic child, "I have never met a child with more energy than her. She never sits still."

"Oh, she sits still, but that's only after she crashes from expending too much energy all at once." Cail corrected her with a laugh, and Tiki giggled as she had to agree that her husband had a point. Morgan had proved herself to be very fond of daytime naps, which explained well how she always had such a large reserve of energy to call upon. As he watched her flit from spot to spot well ahead of them, her eyes wide with wonderment and happiness, Cail felt himself chuckling. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and just watching her made him feel twice as glad to be here than before. "You have to admit though, that kind of attitude is pretty infectious. She does a spectacular job of lifting the spirits of everyone around her. The army's lucky to have that kind of optimism."

"She did inherit that from you. The glass tends to be half-full wherever you're concerned." Tiki pointed out with a hint of mischief, and she loosened her hand from his to curl her arm about his waist to better lean against his side. He chuckled quietly but allowed her tighter hold, his own arm looping about her shoulders as he pressed her closer and kissed her temple. Feeling his hug and watching Morgan fondly from behind warmed the manakete's heart, and she sighed softly in complete satisfaction. Nothing made her happier than her family, nothing made her feel as secure, and she knew without a doubt she could be completely at ease just watching them for the rest of her life.

Seeing her so relaxed and content made Cail's heart give a quick drumroll inside of his chest, and he moved his fingers absently down the thin strap on her shoulder to test its strength. As he had assumed before it was only held together by a handful of stitches and was no wider than his pinky finger, and he wondered with a stirring of hunger if her skirt hid the same type of weak cloth. Leaning down as Morgan was safely out of earshot, Cail nuzzled against Tiki's tapered ear and delivered a wicked nip to the sharpened point before he whispered, "By the way... I think you look breathtaking."

A delicious shiver went through her despite the heat, and Tiki bit down on her lower lip to suppress her gasp as Cail tugged devilishly on her ear with his teeth. He knew her weakness there and was never remiss in paying special attention to it whenever he could. It didn't help that he sounded so hungry for her, and his right hand was playing havoc with her body when it moved down her shoulders and settled on the small of her back. He pulled her closer when she tilted her head to the side to give him more room to snuggle, and with a little sigh she murmured, "I'm glad you like it. It makes the embarrassment worth it."

"That's good to hear..." Cail muttered against her neck, and he gave her a firm squeeze before finally, grudgingly letting her go. They continued after Morgan, the aspiring tactician having halted in her race ahead when she had noticed them lagging behind. She had her arms folded behind her back, an indulgent sort of smile curling at her lips as she watched them, and Cail couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. She didn't look anything like a child in that pose, and ducking his head he whispered playfully to his wife, "Kind of looks like she's torn between scolding us and teasing us for making her wait, doesn't it?"

"I feel like I deserve a good chiding." Tiki admitted almost guiltily, but the smile on her face proved she was more than prepared to take one if that was the reward for her current enjoyment. Leaning once more into his side, they joined their daughter on the surf's edge as she stared at them with that same warm light shining in her eyes. Sensing her child's intense pleasure, Tiki reached out to gently stroke her windswept hair back and out of her face as she teased her, "Don't you look like the cat who has finally caught her canary. What exactly is so funny about your father and I?"

"It's not funny, per say. Well, I mean you two were pretty amusing when Father finally saw you after changing, but that's not why I'm smiling now." Morgan explained with a chuckle, and she glanced from Tiki to Cail with that same indulgent stare that made her seem much older than she was. Keeping her arms folded behind her back, Morgan tilted her head a little to the side as she explained for her curious parents, "I guess I just like seeing you two looking like this. I've had a lot of chances to watch you since joining this army, and it makes me really, really happy when I see how close you are. Maybe it's a sort of security thing, but there's really nothing in the world that I enjoy more than seeing the two of you together and smiling."

Surprised by her earnestness yet having expected such a simple answer, Cail wasn't sure how to respond to her words for a moment. Tiki seemed just as caught off guard as he was, and he shook his head in amused exasperated before reaching out to fondly tousle the hair his wife had just straightened, "That so, eh? I'm happy that us being happy makes you that way. Though you ought to know, if you're in good spirits, the odds are in your favour that we are, too."

Morgan laughed girlishly, and she rubbed at her nose almost as if she was embarrassed by her father's reply. Unable to resist, Tiki let Cail's hand go and instead tapped Morgan playfully on the nose with her index finger as she added on to Cail's declaration, "Of course, since you aren't ever not in good spirits, that means we're frequently happy. You've brought quite a lot of joy to our lives since we found you, and I sincerely hope that never fades. We love you, Morgan. With all our hearts."

Tiki pulled her daughter into a firm hug, and Morgan returned it with every ounce of her being as Cail joined in and wrapped his arms tightly about both of them. Burying her face in her mother's hair and breathing in her scent, Morgan soaked in the moment and committed everything to memory. She had so little to call on in her past that it was sometimes painful to bear, but when she felt her parents' touch and saw their warm gazes, the burden was easier to shoulder. Tiki's words from their first meeting had become almost a creed for her to live by, and for every moment she could not remember she would make new ones to enjoy and cherish. "I love you, too. So much."

She felt Cail giving her a happy squeeze and a firm kiss to her temple, and she pulled away a bit before grinning cheekily at them both. The fact that they had joined her on her little adventure rather than using the time to be alone had touched her deeply, but she also knew how difficult it had been for her parents to spend time together in the recent days. Drawing back and folding her arms about herself, Morgan announced cheerfully, "Well, I think this is where I make my exit now. This part of the beach doesn't look like it sees many people, and the sun's going down, so it's a perfect spot for the two of you to spend some time alone together before the bonfire tonight."  
Cail and Tiki exchanged a startled look, which made Morgan grin even wider at their obvious bafflement at her decision to withdraw so soon after bringing them out. As the silver-haired tactician cast a quick glance about, he realized Morgan was completely right about the beach's lack of traffic and the fact that the sun was beginning its descent over the ocean now. 'Did we walk so far already...?' Frowning at his daughter's generosity, Cail began quietly, "Morgan, you don't need to go if you don't want to. We don't mind spending time with you."

"Nah, that's not why I'm leaving." Morgan clarified with a quick shake of her head, and her eyes grew serious as she looked from her mother's frowning face to Cail's puzzled worry. She was glad they were worried for her leaving them, but it also made her more firm on her decision to escape and give them time together. She couldn't even remember the last time she had seem them both spending time just by themselves, and she had been determined to seclude them both for their own good as well as her own amusement. "I know how hard it's been for the both of you lately. Father is run ragged, and Mother, you never complain when he gets back to the tent practically sleepwalking. The war's been ferocious, and the both of you are working so hard without any reward. This is the only thing I could think of to do for the two of you. Besides, the bonfire is tonight, and we can spend all night together when it goes up."

"You aren't going to reconsider, are you?" Tiki asked with a weary smile, and Morgan just beamed back innocently at her in answer. Sighing with a mixture of gratitude and exasperation, she shook her head and reached out to lovingly stroke her daughter's warm cheek. Morgan was twice as stubborn as Cail when she wanted to be, and with another shake of her head Tiki murmured, "All right, if that's how you want it to be. Thank you for being so mindful of your father and I. I appreciate it... and we'll make it up to you tonight."

"Heh, you make it seem like I'm doing something amazing. It's really no problem. Besides, to use Father's words, I already have a pressing engagement waiting up the beach." Morgan informed them with an embarrassed giggle, and she rubbed again at her nose as a hint of a blush rose in her cheeks. Nodding her head to where the rest of the army were still playing their hearts out, she explained laughingly, "Lucina needs someone to rescue her from herself, since she decided the beach would be an interesting place to train. I'm going to drag her into the water, even if it kills me. Which it probably will, so I'm going to make sure Severa and Nah help me while I'm doing it."

Shaking his head at the flimsy excuse but also having a feeling Lucina very well could have used the beach for such a thing, Cail decided it was best to let his daughter beat her hasty retreat without embarrassing her any further. "All right, get going. We'll meet you back at the bonfire tonight."

"And make sure you drink something when you return, it's hot and you're flushed." Tiki reminded her with a little smile, smoothing back her hair one last time before she pulled back and moved to Cail's side. "I don't want to see you in the sickbed when we're meant to be spending the night together. Take care of yourself as well as Lucina, do you hear?"

"All right, Mom! See you tonight!" Morgan giggled, waving to both of them before she turned tail and began her jog back up the surf. She glanced over her shoulder once, watching them watching her as they stood together, Cail's arm about her mother's waist, and she nodded in satisfaction to herself. She had completed one goal for the day, and was heading back for her second. The night wasn't too long off, and she could manage to wait for them to enjoy their time together before it was all three of them again. Besides, as she had learned from Severa, sunsets were the perfect time for couples.

Cail watched Tiki's eyes following Morgan's progress up the beach, and he couldn't help but remark on her last comment and that loving edge to her smile with some tender amusement, "Motherhood looks really good on you, did you know that? I think that's what you were meant for."

Blinking in surprise, Tiki looked up to see him watching her with a gently amused smile curling at his lips. The words made her pause, and leaning unconsciously into his chest she mused aloud, "To be honest, I never thought of becoming a mother, or a wife for that matter. I didn't much want them as I didn't much think of them... until I met you." Turning somewhat in his arms, Tiki tilted her head back to better meet his stare, and she raised a hand to caress the shape of his cheek as she murmured softly, "Everything changed once I met you."

"I could say the same." Cail agreed as he wrapped his arms firmly about her waist and pulled her close for a soft kiss. She sighed into his mouth as her arms curled loosely about his shoulders, and he nipped gently at her lower lip for permission to deepen the embrace when she melted against his chest. Her fingers curled possessively in his messy silver-white curls when she granted him entry, and after a moment of heated kissing he picked her clean off of the ground and held her up above him with a cheeky grin.

Shaking her head at his mischief, Tiki smiled down at him as he held her up without much effort. Leaning down as her arms rested loosely on his shoulders, she nuzzled against his neck for a moment before pulling back to better examine him from her new height. Her skirt fluttered slightly in the warm breeze, and her sandals had fallen into the sand when he'd picked her up, reminding her of her new clothing and his. With a hint of playfulness she stroked the thin collar of his shirt as she murmured thoughtfully, "I'm glad we came here... Though, I do have one tiny complaint to make, if you'll allow me to be so selfish..."

"Go on." Cail had a feeling he knew what she was going to say, but he didn't drop her down onto the sand. Rather he adjusted his posture and held her tighter, rather enjoying the way she was positioned above him and the feeling of her svelte body pushing against his.

Giving his shirt's collar a tiny tug, Tiki bent down to give him a quick peck on the lips before she explained, "Seeing as it's only you and I here... Would you mind if I took that off of you? Even if the fabric is light, it can't be comfortable in this heat... and to be honest, I'd feel a lot less embarrassed if I had a chance to see you as much as you see me."

Chuckling at the relatively mild request, Cail gently set her back on her feet and stepped back with an inviting glint in his eyes. She had a point about their states of dress, but as she knew him well she hadn't made a remark on it until they were alone. Very few in the army knew about his reason for staying dressed and most assumed he didn't mind the heat too much, but Tiki knew better. Still, now that he was away from prying eyes and it was just them... Lifting his arms impishly, Cail winked as he delivered a challenging answer, "Your exact words were if you took it off of me, so... Go ahead."

"You're impossible..." Tiki laughed, but she took him up on the challenge regardless as she stepped forward and tugged gently at his shirt's hem. The tan fabric was indeed rather light and she doubted he was very hot underneath it, but as she had found in her own sheer clothing the Hotrealm was aptly named. Hooking her fingers into the shirt, Tiki made short work of the garment and laughed lightly when his hair became a worse of a mess as she gently tossed the shirt onto the sand.

Seeing his intent to embrace her now that his shirt was gone, Tiki playfully stepped back and held up a hand to stop him as she teased, "Not yet, let me have a chance to see you. You had quite the time to examine me up and down, don't deprive me of the same opportunity, my love."

Grumbling but knowing she was right, Cail sighed unhappily and let his arms hang at his sides as she returned his devilish wink and went to work examining him. Her eyes began their journey on his, holding his gaze for a moment before moving south and focussing on the hallow of his throat where the emerald shard of her dragonstone in his necklace glittered brilliantly in the sunlight coming over the water. A tender smile lifted her lips before she continued down, mapping his body with her eyes as she had so many times with her hands.

His cheeks reddened as he noticed her stare lingering on his waistline, and he wondered if the dark fabric that merchant had chosen for him as a swimsuit suited him. Many of the others had been fitted in colours that did well to complement both their personalities and style, but as he wasn't really the type to pay attention to such things he hadn't thought twice about taking what was offered to him. Now as Tiki bit down on her lower lip and stared at him he sighed inwardly and mused that now he was in the position she was earlier when he lost all sense and just stared at her like a dolt.

He jumped a little when she reached out and gently stroked his forearm, breaking him out of his thoughts and back to the present. She was smiling coyly at him as she withdrew her touch, and he shook his head as he realized she was going to make him ask what she thought of him. Knowing full well that he deserved her teasing, Cail hung his head and rubbed at the back of his neck as he muttered to the sand, "S-So... What do you think...?"

"I think that I'm quite glad you wore that shirt." Tiki admitted with shake of her head, and before Cail could ask what she meant she stepped close, rested her hand on his chest and kissed him smartly on the lips. His arms automatically reached for her and captured her about the waist, and she murmured against his mouth when they parted for a breath, "I don't much like the idea of anyone else seeing you like this... So, I'm glad you wore that shirt."

"Kind of unfair when you're wearing this." Cail pointed out teasingly, and he gently ran his index finger down the back of her neck to the thin straps holding up her rather flimsy excuse for a swimsuit top. The material was weak and the colour eye-catching, and though she had worn the skirt for modesty it did nothing to detract from her appeal. She was beautiful, and he knew for a fact that the unmarried men in the army had indeed watched her every move when they had been leaving with Morgan. "How many eyes were on you when you came down from the cabana?"

"I only noticed yours... and you _did_ stare for quite awhile." Tiki shot back with a giggle, and Cail groaned as she completely outmanoeuvred him and left him without a retort. Laughing at his inability to reply, she took his hand and tugged him along gently to walk along the surf's line and feel the water. He followed her willingly, curling their fingers together and watching as she lifted her skirt a little to keep it from getting wet when the waves came in over their feet.

They walked in silence, watching the dipping sun and the reddish glow that was spreading over the horizon. The clouds had begun to turn a variety of hues in the sunset, and the ocean reflected the fading rays as the couple held hands and ventured along the coastline together. Squeezing his hand tenderly, Tiki brushed her arm along his as she murmured hesitantly, curiously, "Have you... enjoyed your time here so far?"

Surprised by the question and her hesitation in asking it, Cail began automatically and with some confusion, "Yeah, of course I..." He stopped, realizing as she gazed at him hopefully and with a hint of worry that she wasn't asking just because she was curious. Smiling wearily, he reached out to gently brush his thumb along her lower lip as he sighed, "Ah, I see... You heard Chrom and I earlier today, during the battle, didn't you? Were you worrying all day because of that?"

"I'm afraid I was..." Tiki confessed with a sigh, closing her eyes and kissing his hand when he rested it entirely against her face. She didn't feel guilty for overhearing the conversation between her husband and his best friend, and she knew he made a point of never bringing up his worries for the sake of others. It was why Chrom worked so hard to ease his burdens, and why she worried so much for him even when he was smiling. "You make so little of your memory loss, but I know well it concerns you more than you ever let on. Can you blame me for being a little concerned? I wanted... to do something to give you a few new happy memories to cherish."

"You've done so much already to give me good memories." Cail scolded her warmly, and he took her left hand in his to gently kiss the golden band curling about her ring finger. The emerald shards of her dragonstone were warm with the sun's heat, and he smiled as he felt her fingers ghosting over the silver band that marked his own hand. "The day we first met, that terrific scolding you gave me for refusing to see the healers, the night I proposed to you, our wedding day... There's so many good memories I have now involving you that it's hard to count them all."

"That silver on your tongue..." Tiki shook her head but her smile was honest and affectionate, proving that there was no honest exasperation in her. He brushed his knuckles along her cheek in a tender caress, tracing the shape of her blush, and she leaned into his caress with a murmur of pleasure. "I'm glad, then... Nothing is more important to me than seeing you happy. You've given me so much joy in recent months that it's almost like living inside of a dream. I love you."

"Ah, I give up." Cail groaned in mock-agony, and before Tiki could question his sudden drama he scooped her clean off of the sand again and into his arms. Holding her bridal style and ignoring her surprised questioning, he expertly adjusted his hold on her while explaining with a woe-begotten sigh, "You are just too much today. I can't hold back anymore."

"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Tiki exclaimed in shock as he carefully shifted her higher in his arms and then began walking into the surf. Drawing her feet up immediately as he waded in up to his knees, Tiki curled her arms about his shoulders and tried to wriggle her way higher up in an effort to avoid the water. Her skirt was trailing over her arms and she hastily plucked it into her lap. He was grinning at her with his eyes dancing playfully, and she tightened her hold on him as he moved deeper into the water until it passed his knees and threatened to wet her feet. "C-Cail!"

"What?" Cail asked innocently, relaxing his arms, and sending her dipping dangerously close to the water before he put strength back into it in a taunting gesture. Her grip redoubled as he lowered her a second time, and he laughed as she again raised her feet and tried her best to avoid the water while being trapped in his arms.

The playful motion and his cocky smile had her laughing and spluttering with ire all at once. She rather liked the skirt she was wearing and didn't want to see it wet, and she hadn't planned to swim just yet either. Still, that cheeky look on his face was rather fetching, and even if she would never admit it, she rather liked his mischievous streak. He brought out her inner child without much effort and made her laugh so freely, it was fun to banter with him about silly things when they had the time and the freedom to do so. As he made to drop her again she shook her head and tried to warn him through helpless laughter, "Don't you dare! I swear with Naga as my witness, you will not enjoy what follows if you drop me!"

"I never said anything about dropping you!" Cail retorted almost as if he was hurt by her assumption, but as she expected he immediately moved to counter her words with an amused, "Why are you so afraid of getting wet? Can you not swim, or something?"

"Of course I can swim! Can you?" Tiki shot back with a raised eyebrow and a sharp prod to his chest as she held her up away from the water again. He was laughing at her but his hold was strong and confident, and she had no fear that he'd accidentally drop her into the ocean without well preparing her first. He was playful but never cruel, and she teased him as she settled against his chest and crossed her arms, "It would be a little difficult for me to fish you out of the water if you can't, you know. I'd be laughing much too hard to really do a good job of saving you. And this skirt wouldn't help matters any."

"So if I take this off of you, you'd be willing to swim?" Cail asked with a raised eyebrow of his own and a seductive smile that instantly brought heat rushing through Tiki's body. She blushed slightly, averting her eyes, and his smile widened as he leaned down and nuzzled against her ear, "Well, would you?"

Tiki didn't answer, but she didn't have to as she reached down to her right hip and began untying the knot that held the skirt up. She heard Cail inhale sharply when he realized what she was doing, and he took a few steps backwards to reach the sand again so she could safely discard the garment without getting it wet. Slowly, painfully slowly she unwrapped the skirt about herself as well as she could while being cradled in his arms, and she looked away shyly as his stare burned against her skin and made her blood boil.

Cail swallowed audibly at the sight she was in his arms, clad in sharp crimson that matched with her ribbon and the blush in both of their cheeks. As he had suspected the bottom of her two-piece suit matched exactly with her top, hugging her curves with an expertise that the tactician deemed criminal. He was suddenly extremely glad she had worn that skirt, and a fierce surge of possessiveness made him clasp her all the tighter to him. His voice was husky as he watched her peek up at him through her bangs, "To echo your words from before... I am quite glad you wore that skirt."

Smiling disarmingly, Tiki gently pushed his chest so he could set her back on her feet. He did so automatically, and after a moment of fussing she folded the skirt and set it down carefully in the sand alongside her forgotten sandals. He was staring at her in the exact same manner as he had before, with unadulterated hunger and awe in his eyes, and instead of embarrassment now all she felt was pride. She was the only one who could make him look like that, and she planned to savour that power.

Stepping up to him, she pushed once more at his chest to make him move backwards. Again he gave way to her, still silent and still staring, and her smile became wicked as the sand beneath their feet turned to ankle-deep water. She had seen already how the level dropped abruptly after a few steps away from the shore, and the knowledge gave her the courage she needed to give him a hearty shove that knocked him completely off balance and into the water.

Cail spluttered as he came up gasping for air, now soaked thoroughly as he sat in astonishment in the water. She was standing above him, a devilish smile curling at her lips to fully cement her as a seductress come to tempt him into sinning in all of the worst ways. Laughing despite himself, he shook his head violently, spraying her with water and eliciting delighted laughter from her as his hair stood up awkwardly from the movement. "All right, I think we can sufficiently say you win today. The water's also really nice, by the way."

Giggling at his sarcasm, Tiki extended her hand to help him up and immediately realized her mistake when his hand closed about her wrist and their eyes met. She didn't have time to curse as he pulled on her with a firm yank, and all that left her was a laugh that was both dismayed and amused as she tumbled into his arms and the ocean. Her giggles remained when she came up, shaking the water from her hair and trying to scowl but failing miserably.

Noticing he was no longer with her, Tiki smiled as she noticed him having shifted out into deeper water where he now could tread without much difficulty. He was smiling at her, his dark eyes bright with amusement and love, his silver-white hair sticking up at odd angles and one hand extended to her in invitation. Unable to resist she kicked out to join him, letting him pull her close and feeling his warm kiss as he embraced her completely again. They were alone for the moment, the water was cool and the sunlight was warm, and as far as the two were concerned they had found their own slice of paradise for the day.

**AN:**

**And that was the second of my series of three one-shots based on the Scramble DLCs. I'm calling it the Light Trilogy, since they're all getting their names off of different types of light. The first was starlight, the second is sunlight, and the third will be moonlight. (Kind of corresponds with the time of day they're featured in as well, lol.) So the third shot will take place at the Hot Springs, and I am so excited to write them in yukata... and there may be smuts, depending on how it goes in the writing process. I was tempted to put smuts in here, too, but then I decided to just fluff it up and make it funny instead of soaking lemon on it. It was sweet, and dumb, and probably OOC but I don't care since I was laughing at it the entire way through. I love writing Tiki as mischievous, as that side of her always caught me off guard when I noticed snippets of it in her conversations with others. I wanted to explore more of that side of her, and so that's where this really came from, along with Cail being a man and just going "Uh-Duh" when seeing his wife in a bikini, as I'm sure most men would. **

**So, as requested, there was Tiki in a bikini, and also as requested Stahl being awesome. For some odd reason I imagine he'd actually be a pretty good goalkeeper... And yeah, I had them playing soccer. I didn't want to call it soccer outright, but I figured it'd be a fun game to play on the beach and it gave me an excuse to have Vaike get hit in the head with something nonlethal. (I'm an ass, I know. But it's fun to pick on Vaike!) Originally Cail was also going to get slammed in the head because he was too busy staring at Tiki, but I didn't like picking on him too much... Even though the tactician technically or arguably has Butt Monkey status in-game when you look at all the shit they have to go through, plot and support wise...**

**So, as all the shots are based on conversations that took place in the DLC (With Harvest Scramble's being based on Nowi and Tiki, and Summer's being partially based on Cail and Chrom's) the third shot will be connected with Aversa and Tiki's conversation. And just to make things clear before I even post the thing, I actually like Aversa. She's The Vamp, yes, but she's also hilarious and has a pretty sympathetic backstory. (Though, I laughed myself sick the first time I killed her and she faceplanted hard into the ground...) I couldn't help but feel for her, and I enjoyed going through her support with both tacticians. (Mind you, the female's route just had them both as Magnificent Bastards at the end, and I did imagine Skye wanting to throttle her for making a pass at her husband...) However, when it comes to Cail and Tiki and Morgan... :3 Well, I guess you'll just see where I go with it, yeah?**

**So, "Cool Starlight" was smut with angsty plot, "Warm Sunlight" was amusing and nonsensical fluff, and "Mild Moonlight" will be... deeper and more thoughtful, playing on insecurities and plot and perhaps smut. I make no promises as my muse kicks my ass on a daily basis and I am a slave to her whims. Gods, I wish I could just write what I wanted to on command, but noooo, she doesn't want to let me. -grumblegrumble-**

**So, as usual, any requests or inserts for future pairings are welcomed, I hope I can live up to your expectations in the future, and thank you for reading and/or reviewing. I'll keep writing as ideas come to me, and I'm glad for your support!**

**PS: Inspiration for Tiki's summer wear was taken from a piece of beautiful fanart I found on Danbooru. I'll happily link you to the picture if you're interested!**

**Mood: Hungry**  
**Listening To: "Slut Like You" P!nk**

**~ Sky**


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